The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has requested the Prosecutor General’s Office to order police to investigate alleged criminal offences linked to the registration of members in the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) using stolen personal information and fraudulent membership forms.
“The party has asked the police and the ACC to investigate the criminal offences involved in the theft of people’s personal information and the filling out of fraudulent forms to register members into the ruling PNC,” the MDP said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
The party has also written to the Elections Commission (EC), asking it to halt the processing of the submitted forms, cancel any forms already processed, and ensure their validity.
Under Section 49 of the Political Parties Act, fines ranging from MVR 5,000 to MVR 10,000 can be imposed for each instance of illegally registering a person as a member of a political party.
The controversy intensified after photographs leaked on social media on Wednesday, showing Home Minister Ali Ihusaan alongside Home Ministry and Department of National Registration (DNR) staff, allegedly filling out PNC membership forms. Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Ahmed Ali, who is in charge of the DNR, was also seen in the leaked images.
After the photos surfaced on social media, the MDP parliamentary group decided to table a no-confidence motion against Home Minister Ihusaan, accusing him of involvement in submitting falsified membership forms to the Elections Commission to add members to the PNC.
The photos have sparked widespread calls on social media for Ihusaan’s resignation, but the government has yet to comment on the matter.